Doctrine of Divine Revelation

There are multiple ways in which God has chosen to make Himself known. First, creation itself gives a general knowledge of His existence; all of creation can stand in awe of the greatness of God simply by looking at all that He has made (Ps 111:2; Ps 8:3-4). Furthermore, in the created order, even God’s divine attributes are discernible, making us all to be without excuse (Rom 1:19-20). Moreover, God’s crowning revelation of Himself is found in the sending of His own Son, Jesus, the word become flesh (John 1:18; John 14:9; Heb 1:2-3).

Finally, God has chosen to reveal Himself to His creation (Rom 1:19-20; Ps 8:3-4) through His special revelation (Ps 19:1-11). Special revelation comes through miracles, signs, prophets and in the written word, which is the consummation of God’s revelation (2 Pet 1:21).

The Holy Scriptures in whole are God-breathed (2 Tim 3:16), while at the same time they are written through mankind’s pen and in his unique voice (2 Pet 1:19-21). Since they are plenarily inspired by God, they are therefore inerrant in their original manuscripts (John 17:17; Ps 119:89), and are authoritative in every issue they address; even issues relating to science and history. The bible is sufficient, making the believer complete in application of its truth (2 Tim 3:16-17; 1 Tim 4:11-16).

In the Bible, the believer is confronted with God’s word, which cut deep to the core, exposing his heart and motives (Heb 4:12-13).  God has providentially preserved His Word for all generations.  This preservation does not apply to the original inerrant manuscripts, nor does it need to, because God has provided what He intended His people to have in the currently available manuscripts and modern translations. Therefore, there is not one perfect inerrant translation that exists for believers today, yet what God has preserved and provided is sufficient. Thus, each of these many translations is useable depending on the cultural context and circumstances where the believer is proclaiming the Word of God.